HVAC-Related Pointers for Finishing a Home Basement

For those in a home with an unfinished basement they’re looking to finish, this can be a great investment. Finished basements bring greater space and convenience, plus often help raise home values if you’re looking to sell anytime in the near future.

At Expert Services- Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, we’re here to help with one important area if you’re finishing a basement: The proper HVAC and electrical hookups and transitions. Our air conditioning installation and electrical service professionals are always on hand to assist you with this kind of project, including assessing your current system and determining the needs present before working with you to meet them. Here are some basic areas of importance for finishing a basement.

Current System Assessment

First and foremost, you’ll have to assess the current state of your HVAC system and what kind of additional load it can handle. Finishing a basement means adding additional square footage to the area of the home that requires heating and air treatment, and you have to ensure you have the proper components on hand to handle the upgrade.

This means assessing not only your system, but what the space will be used for. If it’s just a sparsely-used alternate TV room you’ll use for rare occasions? Or is it an every-day area that will be used regularly, or even contain someone living in the space? These kinds of factors will impact several of your decisions, including whether you consider a zoned thermostat option that separates this finished basement area from others in your home. These options may cost a bit more, but they quickly return high value in terms of comfort and temperature control.

Moisture and Other Potential Issues

We’ve always got our eye on potential problems with these sorts of installations, and one small risk here is the potential for moisture issues. Not only is the proper HVAC system important, ensuring solid waterproofing, drainage and humidity control is also vital. Without these, you risk the formation of water damage and even mold or mildew in the area, problems that are even more severe when they impact living spaces rather than unfinished ones. The right precautions here will prevent moisture from ever becoming an issue.

The Right Team to Assist You

Throughout this entire process, it’s vital to have a team with you that understands the ins and outs – and has the proper training and licensure to install various components if needed. Certain HVAC components in a finished basement require permits, such as for new ductwork being added to a property in many cases. In addition, our pros are excellent at helping you conceal previous appliances like hot water tanks of furnaces, which may require some differing storage themes if they’re in an area nearby the basement finishing.

For more on finishing a basement and ensuring proper HVAC areas are attended to, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Expert Services- Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.